


Never Knew

by InvisibleObserver13



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mentions of Cancer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-01-25 23:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21364087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvisibleObserver13/pseuds/InvisibleObserver13
Summary: Unlike his friend Johnny, Jimmy had an easier time adjusting to life after Cobra Kai.  He is a family man, married to the love of his life and a father to four sons.  But the revelation that he has another child and his desire to build a relationship with her upsets the family dynamics.  It doesn't help that she wants no part of this new life and is unwilling to let anyone in.  But one person may change that.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 15





	1. Better Late Than Never, or the First Failure

Home. He finally made it back home. Jimmy honestly doesn't know how he did it. Everything is kind of a blur. No, that isn't right. Fog. That's the word he's looking for. He's been in a fog since Tommy died. It feels like it has been weeks since Tommy passed away in his sleep. And yet, it has only been a few hours. The pain of losing his friend is just too raw to process right now. It doesn't matter that they've all been preparing for this for a long time. Eight years. God, has it really been eight years since Tommy was diagnosed with cancer?

Jimmy smiles, though it is a bittersweet one, as a memory hits him. _ Yeah, it has been. _ Tommy told him the day that he and Jenny learned that Jayden was a boy. Just the thought of losing Tommy to the same disease that took his mom had prompted him and Jenny to give their little boy the middle name Thomas. Jimmy's smile grows as he remembers how thrilled Tommy was about his namesake, and how touched he was when they named him the baby's godfather.

His smile fades just as quickly as it appeared. How was he going to tell the boys that Uncle Tommy was gone and never coming back? They know that Tommy was sick and had been for a long time. They know that he has - no, had - cancer. Josh and Jordan are teenagers. They've experienced the loss of friends and family, especially to cancer. They actually have memories, however faint, of their grandmother. They knew what was coming and were ready for it. _ Well, as much as anyone can be _, he thinks darkly.

But it is his two younger sons that he is worried about. Jesse and Jayden.

Jesse, being twelve, may have a better understanding of death and cancer than his little brother. But he was so close to Tommy. Tommy indulged all of the boys, but especially his third son, in their pranks and antics. Tommy always said that in naming their son Jesse James that he and Jenny were just asking for a troublemaker. Seems like Tommy was right about that. Jesse was a handful to put it lightly. And the most likely of any of their boys to get into fights at school.

Then there is Jay. He's just so young. Jayden has never known death and the pain that comes along with it. Sure, Jimmy and Jenny tried to explain death and cancer to him. Hell, Bobby, with all his wisdom and patience as a pastor, tried. But it just hasn't clicked with his youngest. Or, at least he doesn't think it has. Not completely.

Jimmy is pulled out of his reverie as the door opens just as he arrives at the front step. There she stands. His beautiful and wonderful wife. His partner in life. His heart. His Jenny.

She is wearing a loose-fitting sundress, her long red curls in free fall around her shoulders. As their eyes meet, she gives him a small, sad smile. It warms his heart that she was waiting for him. His love for her and need for her comfort propels him forward into her welcoming arms.

They embrace each other tightly. Jimmy can’t help it. As soon as he is in her arms, he breaks down, sobbing onto her shoulder. Jenny just holds him, rubbing his back and carding his hair.

“I know, darling. We’re all going to miss him. Let it out.”

Jimmy calms back down, if only for a short while. He pulls back, just taking her in. Looking into her green eyes, he draws strength. He knows he’ll need it. As soon as they head inside, he has to tell their sons about their Uncle Tommy. His boys need him to be strong right now.

Jenny smiles back at him. She wipes away his tears with her thumbs.

“Let’s go inside.”

She pulls him toward the house.

* * *

Jimmy wearily plops onto his bed. The boys took it as well as can be expected. Which is to say, not well. The twins hid their tears, retiring to their rooms for much of the evening. Jesse was in denial for an hour, wanting to call Tommy at the hospital to tell his parents they were wrong. When it finally hit him that they weren’t playing a cruel prank on him, Jesse started acting out. He screamed. He threw things. When Jimmy tried to scold him, Jesse chose that moment to break down and cling to his father. It was too much for Jimmy to bear. All he could do was hold his son close and whisper platitudes and try not to cry all over again. And Jay. Jayden is usually such a chatterbox, always asking questions. But tonight, he is uncharacteristically quiet. And dinner was such a solemn affair. No one spoke. They barely ate. Even the dogs had picked up on the change of atmosphere, lying close to him and the boys. Afterward, everyone went their separate ways. It is the opposite of what Jimmy wanted, but he is just too tired and emotionally drained to fight it.

Jenny walks into the room. She wipes away her tears. She sits down next to him, closing her eyes. Her exhaustion ages her. Jimmy puts his arm around her, drawing her close. Jenny leans into him.

“What is it?”

“It’s Jayden. He didn’t want me to leave when I tucked him into bed. He started crying and wouldn’t let go.”

She pauses, taking a deep breath. Jenny turns to look into his eyes.

“Jimmy, he said, ‘Mommy, I don’t want you or Dad to die, like Uncle Tommy.’ I was about to tell him that we weren’t going to anytime soon.”

She sighs, shaking her head.

“But I couldn’t tell him that. I won’t lie to him. People die. And sometimes it is sudden and without warning. Instead, I told him that we weren’t sick like Tommy was. But then, he cries, ‘But you still could!’ How am I supposed to respond to that? I just held him and stayed with him until he fell asleep.”

As Jenny starts to sob, Jimmy closes his eyes and pulls his wife even closer. He kisses her forehead. She then lays her head on his shoulder, clutching his shirt.

“Babe, you did the right thing. You were honest with him. We tell him, and the other boys for that matter, that we love them and that we will be with them for as long as we can. We can try to prepare. We’ve both got wills drawn up. We’ve both saved money. If something happens, we deal with that as it comes.”

Not that he can see it, Jenny nods into his shirt. She straightens up to look at him, giving him a watery smile. Jimmy returns it. Jenny cups his cheek, giving him a soft kiss.

“I love you,” she whispers. 

“Not as much as I love you,” he returns.

She kisses him again. Jimmy deepens the kiss, putting his hands on Jenny’s waist. Her hands move to the back of his neck, keeping him close. As their kisses become more desperate and full of need, they lie down. Breaking apart momentarily, Jimmy leans over her. His eyes trace and memorize every detail of her face. The fingers of one hand playing with her flaming curls, which are splayed against the pillow. Her eyes never looking away from his face, Jenny gives his shirt a tug, an indication of her need for him.

Jimmy smiles down at her fondly. He gives her a teasing kiss, before pulling back slightly. Jenny makes a sound of displeasure. He chuckles as he starts to unbutton his shirt. Then he leans down to capture her lips in another kiss. Jenny’s hands are on his back, pink nails digging into him through the fabric of his shirt. In his frenzied attempt to turn off his bedside lamp, Jimmy clumsily knocks his phone and the TV remote off the table.

* * *

There is a light knock at the door. A slight pause, as if waiting for a response. Then the knocking starts again, more insistent and slightly louder this time. Both husband and wife stir, disturbed from their slumber. Jimmy pokes his head out from under the comforter. But it is Jenny who rolls over to turn on her lamp. Sitting up, she reaches for her robe and puts it on. She brushes her hair out of her face.

“Come in,” she yawns.

The door opens halfway. Jesse, in his rumpled pajamas, stands in the doorway of their bedroom. His copper hair is a disheveled mess. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes.

“Mom? Dad? Jay wet the bed,” their son whines.

Jimmy quietly groans into his pillow. Jenny sighs, standing up. She pats his blanket-covered back.

“Go back to sleep, dear. I've got this one.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

He nods sleepily into his pillow. Jenny gives him a fond smile, before turning to her sleepy son. She threads her fingers through his hair.

“Let’s see to your brother and get you back in bed.”

Jenny puts her arm around Jesse, which he leans into, as she walks him out the door. As the door closes, Jimmy nestles back into the blanket and starts to drift off. Unfortunately for him, the house phone begins to ring.

“Damn it,” he mutters.

Jimmy groans, pushing himself up to turn his lamp on. Jimmy reaches out to grab the cordless phone from his nightstand. Sitting up, if not a bit hunched over, he looks at the clock and then at the phone’s screen, brows furrowing. _ Who the hell is calling at two in the morning? _ He doesn’t recognize the number. Jimmy presses the “Talk” button and puts the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

Even he can hear the grogginess in his voice.

“Is this James Parker?”

“Er, yes… Who is this?”

“My name is Sarah Haines. I work for Delta Airlines.”

Jimmy scratches his head.

“Okay… And why are you calling me at this hour?”

“You are listed as the father of the unaccompanied minor Alyssa Morgan.”

Jimmy sits straight up. It feels as if his heart has stopped. He is definitely awake now.

“Alyssa…” Jimmy breathes. “Y-yes, I’m her father. What happened? What’s wrong? Is she okay?”

His heart is racing. It feels like an eternity before the woman from the airline speaks again.

“Mr. Parker, Alyssa is fine. But her flight landed nearly two hours ago.”

His eyes widen. “That was today? Last night, I mean,” Jimmy says incredulously. _ Oh, God. I forgot about her. My daughter. Shit. How could I forget? But then again, after everything with Tommy… it’s no wonder that I forgot that she was supposed to arrive tonight. Last night. This morning, whatever it is. _ It’s too early for him to be thinking this hard.

“As the person designated to pick her up, you should have been at the airport two hours ahead of the scheduled arrival,” Ms. Haines continues. “We’ve been trying to contact you for hours.”

_ What? _ Jimmy frowns, shaking his head. He takes the phone away from his ear to look at the display screen. No indications of missed calls and nothing on the answering machine.

“No. That can’t be right. I would have heard the phone ring.”

“I assure you that we have. Your cell number was listed as the best way to reach you. And we called multiple times and received your voicemail each time.”

Jimmy tilts his head in confusion. He looks over to his bedside table. Wait. Where is his smartphone? He stands and looks around the room.

“We did try to call your home phone before, but there was a busy signal. We also called her mother, in the event that you were unreachable.”

As the Delta employee talks, Jimmy gets down on his hands and knees, balancing the phone between his ear and shoulder. He crawls around looking for his cell. He finds the TV remote underneath his bed. It takes a little longer to notice that his phone had fallen underneath the nightstand on the side farthest from his side of the bed. Standing back up, Jimmy unlocks his phone. He has about ten missed calls. And several angry texts from Michelle, Alyssa’s mother.

“Can you put her... can you put Alyssa on the phone? I want to speak to her.”

There is a period of silence, which only causes Jimmy’s anxiety to increase. 

“Where the hell are you?”

Just hearing her voice makes Jimmy release a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. But her angry tone makes it clear how disappointed and hurt she is. His shoulders slump with the weight of knowing how much he has failed her on the first day of their life together. Jimmy is determined to make it up to her.

“Alyssa. Alyssa, honey, I’m sorry.” 

“Some father you turn out to be!” she declares bitterly, cutting him off. A choking sob is barely audible.

He grimaces, closing his eyes. The hand not holding his phone comes to briefly rest on his forehead. Jimmy holds the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he pulls on and buttons his discarded jeans. He walks to the dresser and pulls out a t-shirt, pulling it on.

“Alyssa, don’t move. Don’t go anywhere. Just stay with Ms. Haines until I get to the airport. I’m on my way. I’m leaving right now. I will be there as soon as I can. I promise.”

Jimmy hears a snort of derision.

“Yeah, like promises made by adults mean anything.”

He frowns, hurt by the bite of her words. He tries to think of something to reassure her when she ends the call. As he slips on a pair of shoes, Jimmy sighs, shaking his head while he sets the handset back in the cradle. He pockets his cell, grabs his keys from the dresser, and walks out the bedroom door. Jimmy is a man on a mission, focusing on nothing but getting to Alyssa and bringing her home. He goes down the stairs two at a time.

WHAM!

“Oh!”

The sudden collision causes Jimmy to look up. His momentum has Jenny stumbling backward. He reaches out to catch her.

“Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention.”

Jenny crosses her arms. She raises an eyebrow, amused.

“That much is obvious.”

Then she notices his preoccupied expression. And that he is completely dressed again, as well as the fact that he has his car keys in hand. Jenny becomes concerned.

“Jimmy, what's going on? What happened? Where are you going at this hour?”

He rakes a hand through his hair in agitation, grimacing.

“With the sudden decline in Tommy's health, our impromptu camping trip to Big Bear, and then his death…”

Jimmy closes his eyes for a moment, a look of shame spreading across his features.

“I totally forgot that Alyssa was flying in overnight. It completely slipped my mind.”

Jenny's eyes widen in shock. She claps a hand over her mouth.

“That was today?” she gasps. It is very unlike her to forget something like that. Jenny always keeps track of where her boys are and what appointments they have and when. Surely, she wrote that on the calendar.

Jimmy gives a half-smile.

“Well, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who forgot. But that doesn't help the very upset teenage girl who's been sitting at the airport for two hours.”

Sympathy for her stepdaughter washes over her face.

“Oh, the poor girl! Go. Honey, you have to go get her,” Jenny says as she shoos him toward the door. She walks him out. As Jimmy starts to get in his car, she kisses his cheek. “Be careful. Please, don't get caught speeding on the way.”

Jimmy smiles at her. “Don't worry. I'll drive safely. I won't risk disappointing her any more than I already have for one day. Please don’t wait up.”

* * *

Somehow, he managed to drive somewhat close to the speed limit. Once Jimmy arrives at the airport, he practically runs to the closest security guard. He tries to ascertain if the man has seen Alyssa. Jimmy shows him the only picture he has of her and his driver’s license. The guard calls his superiors over the radio. After a few minutes of talking into the radio, the guard turns back to him.

“Sir, if you’ll come with me.”

Jimmy is led to an office. When the guard opens the door for him, he is greeted with the sight of his daughter. She is slumped in an office chair, arms crossed and wearing a pissed off expression. He feels the same rush of love for Alyssa that he felt upon meeting her nearly a month ago. Jimmy rushes over to her, kneeling down to her level. He notices that her cheeks seem shiny. Are those tears? Has she been crying? She swipes them away, as if hoping he didn’t notice them. Jimmy aches to pull her into his arms and just hold her. But he settles for placing his hand on her arm.

“Alyssa, I am so sorry. Something came up this weekend and it completely slipped my mind that you were flying in. I know it doesn’t excuse leaving you stranded here for hours --”

She shoots him a glare that radiates both ice and fire.

“You’re right. It doesn’t excuse anything.”

Alyssa jerks her arm away from him and abruptly stands. “Can we please just go?” she asks, arms still crossed and lips pursed.

Jimmy’s shoulders droop. He nods.

“Yeah, we can go,” he says subdued, reaching for her luggage.

She snatches them away before he could lay a finger on them.

“I’ve got them. I can carry them myself. I don’t need your help.”

Jimmy backs away, saying nothing. He tries his best to keep his face blank, as he tries not to be too hurt by her rejection of him. He holds the door open for her, allowing her to exit the room first.

* * *

The walk to the car is quiet and filled with tension. He stops in front of a metallic blue car.

“This is it.”

Alyssa scrutinizes the vehicle, before meeting his eyes. “Nice color,” she remarks in a way that Jimmy isn’t sure if she is being sincere or sarcastic. Using a remote control, he unlocks the car and pops the trunk open.

“Can I at least help you put your bags in the trunk?”

She just looks at him. He steps out her way, turning to the side. Rolling his eyes, Jimmy mutters, “Right. Of course not. What was I thinking?”

After she finishes placing her bags in the trunk, she pauses, eyes closed, and leans against the car for a moment. As he closes the trunk, Jimmy glances at her.

“Are you okay?”

Alyssa ignores his question. She starts to walk to the front of the car but begins to sway. Jimmy catches his daughter as she is about to fall. He lowers her to sit on the ground, leaning her against the passenger door of the car. Jimmy makes sure she doesn’t slump forward by holding her upper left arm tightly. His blue eyes frantically sweep over her face. His right hand caresses her cheek and hair, hoping that it gets a response from her.

“Alyssa! Alyssa, look at me! Honey, wake up. Please!”

The girl comes to, groaning lightly. She weakly tries to pull away from him.

“Let go. Jus’ leave me ‘lone. ‘M fine,” Alyssa slurs as she pushes at his hand holding her arm.

Jimmy gently, but firmly tilts her head up to meet his eyes.

“No, you are not fine. And no, I’m not leaving you alone. You just fainted. What’s wrong? What just happened?”

She attempts to scowl at him, but it comes off more like a mix between a half-hearted glare and a pout. Then she sighs as if it is too much of an effort to maintain. Suddenly, Alyssa folds in on herself, whimpering, as if in pain. Jimmy does his best to hold and comfort her, despite not knowing how or if she will let him.

When she recovers, Jimmy forces her to look at him again. “Alyssa, you need to talk to me.”

“I’m hungry,” she says tiredly.

“You didn’t eat on the plane?” he asks skeptically.

“I did. Just been a few hours. I also bought something out of a vending machine in Atlanta during the stopover.”

“But you didn’t pack any snacks in your carry-on?”

Looking down and biting her lip, Alyssa shakes her head. Jimmy turns away, exhaling and nodding in resignation. “Okay.” He looks back at her. “Do you think you can stand?”

She nods.

“Good. I’m going to help you up, whether you like it or not,” he says in no uncertain terms. He offers her a hand, which she takes. Slowly, Alyssa stands, supported by her father. Jimmy unlocks the door, still holding onto her, and helps her in. As soon as she is in the car, she closes the door, buckles the seatbelt, crosses her arms, and looks directly forward.

Once Jimmy gets in the car, he turns to his daughter. As he talks to her, he buckles his seatbelt and starts the car.

“Since you are starving and I don’t think either of us can sleep anytime soon, I’ll cook you breakfast when we get home.”

Alyssa faces him, a dubious look on her face.

“Don’t you have a wife and kids?”

“I do.”

She points to the clock.

“It’s 3:30 am here. Are you really going to risk waking them up, just so I can eat?”

Jimmy grimaces. He didn’t think of that.

“Look, just stop by a convenience store or something. I can get a pack of donuts, a granola bar, or something quick to get by on.”

Jimmy shoots her a look.

“No, you are going to eat real food. Preferably, something that has some nutritional value.”

Alyssa spreads her arms wide.

“What would even be open right now?” she argues.

Jimmy smiles at her.

“This is Los Angeles. There are a few restaurants that are open twenty hours. And most of them are Denny’s. But there some others relatively close by, such as Kitchen 24 on North Cahuenga Boulevard, Astro Family Restaurant on Fletcher Drive, Original Pantry Cafe on South Figueroa Street, Pacific Dining Car. But if you want something closer to the house, there is Crave Café and yet another Denny’s in Sherman Oaks, as well as an IHOP on Ventura Boulevard in Encino. Anything sticking out to you?”

Alyssa tilts her head up against the headrest, rolling her eyes, and then looks at him with a raised eyebrow, as if challenging him.

“You’re bringing up all these names and places like they mean anything to me. It’s late. I’m hungry and I’m tired. Do you really want to make me choose?” she asks with a sharp edge to her voice.

Jimmy inhales sharply and looks straight ahead, his shoulders tense. He pulls out of the parking space. “Closest Denny’s, it is,” he replies curtly.

Alyssa smirks, eyes narrowed. “Thank you. Was that so hard?”

Jimmy holds his tongue, pretending to ignore her and gripping the steering wheel tightly.

* * *

Father and daughter are seated almost immediately at one of the dark brown vinyl booths. The server takes their drink orders, leaving them to look over the menus. Alyssa quickly decides upon the Grand Slam Slugger, because who can turn down pancakes, eggs, and hash browns? 

Having made up her mind and because she is so bored, she takes in her surroundings. Denny’s may be open for twenty-four hours, but this specific hour seems to be a dead zone. Other than the employees, they are the only people in the building. As they are seated at a booth by the window, she tries to look outside. Unfortunately, it is too dark to see anything but a nearly empty parking lot, a few lights from the streets, and her own reflection. Out of the corner of her eye, Alyssa notices that there is a TV not too far away. When she turns to check out whatever is playing, she is met with disappointment. The DISH receiver is currently turned off. With nothing better to do, she leans her head on the cool window pane and stares out into the emptiness.

The server arrives with their drinks.

“Decaf coffee with cream and sugar. And an iced tea.”

After she places the beverages in front of the appropriate recipient, the server stands by their table expectantly, twiddling her pen and waiter pad in an impatient manner. “Have you decided what you’re gonna eat yet?”

Giving her a brief glance, Jimmy chooses not to mention her rude behavior. He looks at his daughter, who hasn’t even noticed the server set her tea in front of her.

“I will have a side of egg, bacon, slices of toast, and a cup of fruit.”

“How do you want your egg cooked?”

“Over easy, please.”

The server turns to his daughter. Jimmy clears his throat to get her attention.

“Grand Slam Slugger. Hash browns, bacon so crispy that it could be considered brittle, and the eggs cooked over medium,” Alyssa informs her in a tone that brooks no argument.

As the server heads to the kitchen to place the order, Alyssa reaches for her straw, ripping it out of the wrapper and placing it in her glass. Grabbing the glass, she takes a sip, which she spits back out a second later.

“What’s wrong?” Jimmy asks, concerned.

Nose crinkled and lips curled in disgust, she replies, “It’s … it’s unsweet! And they put a lemon in it after I told them not to.”

“Do you want to send it back?”

“I’ll suffer through it,” she mutters, glowering. Alyssa crumples her straw wrapper and starts playing with it out of boredom. After about five minutes of her flicking the paper ball across the table, Jimmy pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance. When it lands close to him and she reaches for it, he seizes her wrist and snaps.

“Alyssa! Stop.”

Startled, she jerks back, freeing herself from his grasp.

“Look, I know you are trying to avoid talking to me. But we need to talk, whether you want to or not. I know that you aren’t happy about moving out here.”

“Oh, you do?” she lashes out. “Why would I be happy about being forced to leave my home, my friends, my school, everything that I know?”

“I get it. I do --”

“No, I don’t think you do. Or you wouldn't have pushed for this.”

“Alyssa, you were always going to move out here. Of that, there was no question after your uncle died. The only thing your mom and I really had to discuss was if you were going to live with her or me.”

“I could have worked out some kind of arrangement with one of my friends. And if it is so important to you that we have a relationship, why couldn’t there be some kind of visitation schedule? Holidays, school breaks, birthdays....”

Jimmy leans forward, arms on the table.

“Whether you act like it or think of yourself this way or not, you are a child. It is not your job to make custody arrangements. Nor do you have that right. Your mom and I are the ones who make those decisions. We agreed to share custody of you and that right now, you are better off with me.”

Alyssa narrows her eyes.

“I don't see how I'm better off with you. I don't even know you. And you certainly don't know me.”

Jimmy sighs.

“That is part of why your mom and I decided on this course of action. You have this whole other branch of family to get to know: me, Jenny, your brothers. You also have a grandfather, two uncles, and cousins who would love to meet you.”

Her expression darkens at his words. He doesn't seem to notice and continues.

“Another reason is that you will have stability. Jenny and I have been happily married for twenty-five years. We have kids, three of whom are close to your age. You can come to both of us, whenever you feel like it.”

For a moment, his words confuse her. _ Stability? Why would I want to talk to them? _ She stiffens, eyes widening slightly in realization. _ No. No, he can’t … He doesn’t know about that, does he? _

Jimmy rests his chin on his hands, looking directly at the girl. The corners of his mouth turn up into a smile. She can see the hope in his eyes.

“Alyssa, honey, I want to get to know you more than anything. And I would like to start now if you'd let me.”

She feels a tightness in her chest. Her nails dig into the vinyl seat of the booth.

Jimmy goes on. “What do you like to do? What are your favorite movies? Favorite actors? What bands do you like? Although, the odds are that I will have no clue who these people are.” He chuckles.

Alyssa’s lip twitches. She doesn’t want to give in, to give up a part of herself… But Jimmy, her father --_ no, don’t think of him like that _ \-- seems so nice and has a disarming smile. She opens her mouth, about to answer, when the server places their food in front of them.

Alyssa breathes a sigh of relief. Saved by the food! Her stomach rumbles in agreement. She can relax now.

Jimmy’s smile dims at the interruption. He is just so eager to connect with her. But he can’t be too upset. He knows that she needs to eat and he’ll take the small joy that she gets out of enjoying her meal.

Alyssa drenches her pancakes in syrup, then cuts and stabs them with her fork. As soon as the first syrup-covered bite is inside her mouth, she closes her eyes and moans in bliss. “Mmmphf!” _ It’s delicious! _ Dipping the crispy strips of bacon into the pools of syrup improves the smoky flavor of the bacon, Alyssa believes.

“I take it pancakes are one of your favorite foods?”

Between bites, Alyssa answers his question with a raised eyebrow. Jimmy interprets her look to mean “Is it not obvious?” He nods to himself, hiding a smile behind his cup of coffee.

“Mmm!” Jimmy pulls his phone out of his pocket. “I just remembered that I should probably let your mother know that I finally picked you up and that you are fine.” As he goes about texting her mom, Alyssa turns her attention back to her breakfast. She shovels forkfuls of hash browns smothered in ketchup and pepper into her mouth.

As she cuts into her eggs, Alyssa looks on in dismay as the yolk bleeds across her plate. “I said cooked over medium,” she mumbles, pouting. With a sigh, she soaks up the yolk with her pancakes. Bringing the fork to her mouth, she peers at Jimmy surreptitiously. Apparently, he is still trading texts with her mom. While focused on the phone, he picks up a slice of toast. Alyssa freezes when she sees him dip his toast in his egg before taking a bite. Of course, Jimmy chooses this moment to look up.

“What?” Jimmy asks, eyes wide. She shakes her head vigorously and glances down at her plate, chewing her food. They both continue eating in silence. Jimmy finishes first. Wiping his mouth with his napkin, he clears his throat.

“Alyssa, why won’t you talk to me?”

She sips her tea. Looks him in the eye.

“You want to talk, fine. Let’s talk. Why do you want to know me? Why do you want me to live with you? And don’t give me that stability crap!”

With each word, she grows louder and angrier. It’s as if a full stomach has refueled her need to push him away. Jimmy doesn’t let that bother him. He reaches for her hand.

“You want to know why? Because you are my daughter. And I love you. And I want to be there for you.”

Alyssa narrows her eyes at him and moves out of his reach. “Bullshit.”

Jimmy blinks, taken aback by her language.

“I’m only your daughter because some idiot screwed up in a lab! It was a fluke! And how can you lo--” She stops herself. “How can you ever claim to care about me when you didn’t know about me until a month ago? It’s not like you loved my mom. You never even fucked her!”

Alyssa isn’t finished ranting, but Jimmy doesn’t give her the chance to continue. He is up out of his seat and right in front of her before she can speak another word. It scares her, but she is determined not to let it show. He looms over her, taking her chin firmly in hand.

“Listen very carefully. I get that you are upset. And that is fine. But you will not speak to me like that. I don’t care what issues you have with your mother, but you will not talk about or to her with such disrespect. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” Alyssa whispers, lip trembling. As the first tear falls, Jimmy lets go of her. He closes his eyes. Sighing, he lowers himself onto the seat beside her. Damn it. He didn’t mean to make her cry. He just wanted to make a point. Shifting in the seat to face his daughter, Jimmy rubs his neck uncomfortably, as she tries to hold in her sobs.

“Alyssa, honey. I’m sorry, but it needed to be said. As for how I became your father, you’re right. It is screwed up. They did make a mistake, but that doesn’t mean that you are a mistake.”

Jimmy lays a tentative hand on her back. He wants to pull her close and stroke her hair, but he knows that if he tried to, she might push him further away.

“You want to know how I can love you, even though I barely know you? Because you’re mine. It would be nearly impossible for me to describe a parent’s love for their child. Maybe you’ll understand when you become a parent. And that won’t be for a long time. At least ten to fifteen years.”

It might just be his imagination, but Jimmy thinks that gulp might have been a laugh and that there is a hint of a smile on her face.

“I never knew about you until roughly a month ago, but if I had, I would have been there from the very beginning. I loved you from the moment I learned that you existed. And once I laid eyes on you, my love grew and continues to do so. I just hate that we were robbed of having a relationship. And that I missed out on all of those little, important moments with you, like your first smile, first word, walking. I am determined to get to know you because we’ve missed out on so much already. Do you understand?”

Alyssa nods, her tears subsiding. She faces him. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“If you care about me so much, how, why did you forget about me? Shouldn’t you have written that information down? Or printed out the flight schedule?”

Jimmy grimaces. He turns away from her shame. “Alyssa…” He trails off, not sure how much he should tell her. “Something happened.”

A crease forms between her brows. “Yeah, you said that earlier. But what could come up that is so important that it could make you forget about your kid? If it was some kind of emergency with one of your other kids, you would have mentioned it. And that would be understandable.”

The pain and grief over losing Tommy washes over him again. This time, the tears are coming from his own eyes before Jimmy has a chance to stop them. Alyssa is startled. She has rarely seen a grown man, at least not one of this age, let his emotions get the best of him and be so vulnerable. She is nearly moved to tears again. She takes his hand, squeezing it in a show of support.

“I’m sorry. Who were they?”

A warmth, though bitter, spreads through Jimmy. She’s trying to comfort him? Shouldn’t that be his job for her?

“Thank you,” he croaks, wiping away his tears. He looks up and sees the sympathy in her teary eyes. “Tommy was one of my best friends for over thirty, nearly forty years.”

“How did he…?” She can’t say the word. He still has trouble thinking it.

“Cancer.”

Alyssa nods silently. She squeezes his hand again before letting go.

“I’m sorry if I keep lashing out at you. I’m grieving, too. I know it’s not an excuse, and I’ll try to stop…but I still don’t want to be here, if I’m being honest. I don’t know you and I don’t trust you. Yet. I think I might want to. But I'm just not there yet. You need to give me time. And space. Can you do that?

Jimmy gives her smile.

“Yeah, I think I can do that, sweetheart.”

He looks at his phone. God, it’s nearly 4:30 am. He looks back at Alyssa.

“If you’re ready, I’ll go pay.”

She nods.


	2. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alyssa meets her new family, much to Jimmy's chagrin.

Jimmy pulls into his driveway. It has been a quiet ride home; the oldies music on the radio is the only sound, as well as the only thing keeping him awake. As he turns the engine off, he glances over to the passenger side. His daughter is asleep, curled up in the seat with her head leaning against the cool glass of the window. _ Daughter. _It’s still such a strange word for him to think in relation to himself. He smiles fondly at the sight. He doesn’t have the heart to wake her, but he isn’t sure that he is up to carrying her.

Instead, he places a hand on her arm, squeezing it. “Alyssa, honey, wake up.”

She barely stirs, pulling and turning farther away. Jimmy sighs, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car. He walks around the front, opening the passenger door. He makes certain to catch her before she falls halfway out. Crouching down to her level, Jimmy strokes Alyssa’s face.

“Alyssa. Honey, you need to wake up now. We’re home.”

Her eyelids flutter open. “Mmm?” She tries her best to focus on him, but her eyelids keep drooping. “Wanna sleep,” the girl slurs.

Jimmy smiles back sympathetically. “I know you do. So do I, but we need to make it inside the house first.”

Alyssa sighs, then starts to unbuckle herself. She struggles with it but swats away Jimmy’s attempts to help her. Once she frees herself, Alyssa stumbles out of the car. Worried that she will fall and hurt herself, Jimmy puts an arm around his daughter and helps her inside. He leads her to the couch, sitting her down.

“Stay here, while I get your bags,” he whispers to her. She doesn’t seem to hear his words or notice when he walks away. The couch is huge with overstuffed pillows piled on it. The leather cushions are soft to the touch. As tired as Alyssa is, she just can’t help but slip her shoes off and curl up on one end.

* * *

Three minutes later, Jimmy backs through the front door as quietly as he can with his arms full of his daughter’s luggage. He sits one down, in order to shut and lock the door. He leans against the door, eyes closed, taking a moment. Jimmy forces himself to open them, pursing his lips at the bags and then turning his gaze upward, to the second floor. _ Maybe I can leave these here for a few hours. _ _ I hope Alyssa is too tired to care. I know I am _, he thinks wearily.

Nor is he looking forward to coaxing the drowsy teenager up a flight of stairs. He strides over to the couch, only to find her curled up fast asleep, clutching one of the throw pillows close to her, as a young child would a doll or stuffed animal. Jimmy smiles. _ She looks so adorable and peaceful. _ His smile turns sad. He wonders if he is glimpsing the little girl that she used to be, the little girl that he never had the chance to know. Just the thought of what he missed out on causes a tightening in his chest. Not wanting to wake her by potentially breaking down crying, Jimmy decides that it would be best to leave her.

However, just as he is about to head up the stairs, he stops. _ Every parent should have the chance to tuck their children in at least once in their lives. _ He glances over his shoulder at the sleeping girl. Fifteen years is too long a wait. This is the first time he has brought his daughter home. He walks back to her. Jimmy takes the blanket from the top of the couch, covering her up. Bending down, he arranges the blanket around her, brushing away a lock of dark hair from her face. “Sleep well, sweetheart. I’ll see you in the morning. Well, later anyways,” Jimmy whispers, placing a kiss to her temple.

* * *

  
  


“MOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!”

“DAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDD!”

Alyssa, who had been sleeping quite well, jerks awake, jumping nearly a foot off the couch. Her feet get tangled up in the blanket. The sudden movement and her trapped legs cause her to fall to the floor. But not before she bangs her head on the edge of the coffee table.

“MOM! There’s a stranger in the house!”

Alyssa hears the person, or persons, running out of the room. Lying on the cold, hardwood floor for a moment, she groans and covers her head. _ Why? I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I was asleep! _ She sighs, pushing herself up. Apparently, she moved too quickly, as her head starts to swim and she slumps forward. She tries to get up again, more slowly this time.

Alyssa stands, holding onto the couch for support. It doesn’t help her head, though. _ Ugh, it hurts. _ She reaches up to touch her forehead. It’s wet. Her breath quickens. _ Blood. I’m bleeding. Shit. _ Trying to calm herself down, Alyssa takes a few deep breaths. _ Okay, don’t panic. It’s just a little blood. I can deal with this. I just need to make it to the nearest bathroom or the kitchen. _

She glances around, trying to focus and make sense of this new location. The house is very open and spacious. All the light flooding in from the windows hurts her eyes, making her headache worse. It appears that the kitchen is closest to the living room. She walks into the kitchen, unsteady on her feet.

Alyssa starts to rifle through the kitchen drawers and cabinets, looking for dishcloths, dishtowels, napkins, or paper towels. Anything to staunch the bleeding. Opening the second cabinet under the sink, she finally has success. As she snatches the dishtowel from the rack, Alyssa catches movement from the corner of her eye.

She turns toward it.

“Yaaaaaaaaaah!”

A blur rushes out from behind the kitchen island at her. Stunned, she drops the towel and backs into the counter. Her attacker is a ginger-haired boy, a few years younger than her. He advances toward her, brandishing a kitchen knife. Alyssa hurls herself to the right, narrowly missing being cut.

_ Who the hell is this kid? _

She tries to put the island between them.

“What is your problem?”

The boy points the knife at her, fire in his green eyes. “You are! You don’t belong here. Get out!”

He runs toward her. Alyssa stumbles and slides across the floor, trying to get away from him. She kicks one of the island barstools into his path. The kid trips over it, letting out a yelp, as he falls. The knife clatters to the floor, just out of his reach. They each glance at the knife, then meet each other’s eyes. Alyssa throws herself to the floor as they both scramble to get it.

With a swipe of her hand, she sends it pinwheeling away. Unfortunately, she manages to nick the back of her hand in the process. Alyssa doesn’t even register what happened. The boy is on top of her, yanking her dark hair with his fists.

“Aahhhh!” she cries out.

_ It’s not enough that he comes after me with a knife. _Her blood boils. She curls her hands into fists, nails digging into her palms. Gritting her teeth, Alyssa flings herself backward in retaliation. The boy hits the tile floor hard, knocking the wind out of him. She ends up rolling over and landing on the other side of him from the momentum. 

But it was not enough to deter him. The boy recovered quickly and hovers over her as she lies on her back, dazed and trying to catch her breath. He starts hitting her. She attempts to cover her face and scrunch her body up to block the blows. After the last blow, she’s had enough. Alyssa delivers a well-aimed kick to her attacker’s stomach.

* * *

Jenny is yet again awoken by insistent knocking on her bedroom door. She had gone back to bed about fifteen minutes after her Jimmy had left. She had intended to wait up for him and Alyssa, despite his wishes. But she was too tired. She vaguely remembers her husband crawling back into bed, feeling the mattress dip slightly, but drifted back into sleep. When the knocking started again, she had wondered which of her sons were having a crisis. It doesn’t help that the knocking has woken up the dogs, who both started to bark loudly. Jenny glances at the clock. A quarter after seven.

“Mommy! Dad!”

She quickly grabs her robe, puts it on, and rushes to open the door. She hadn’t even opened it a third of the way when her youngest comes bursting through the door. He wraps his arms around her and buries his head into her side. “Mommy!” Her poor baby is trembling. Concerned, Jenny hugs him back.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

Jayden looks up at her with wide blue eyes.

“Mommy, you and Dad have to come quick!”

Jenny peers over her shoulder at the form of her slumbering husband. Turning back to her son, she whispers, “Sweetie, Dad had a late night. Why don’t we let him sleep in?”

The blankets rustle. “Mmm. I‘m awake,” she hears Jimmy say, voice rough with sleep. He gets out of bed, walking over to them. He puts an arm around Jenny, giving her a kiss on the cheek, before giving the eight-year-old a warm, sleepy smile. “What’s the matter, son?”

Jayden grabs his dad’s hand and starts to pull him to the door. “Come on!”

Jimmy stops him. “Whoa, buddy. Tell us what’s wrong.”

Jayden shakes his head emphatically. “But Jesse could be in danger!” Both of his parents stare at him in shock. “Dad, somebody broke in and they’re still in the house!”

Jimmy rushes out of the room and is halfway down the hall before Jenny or their son can react. Jenny hovers in the doorway. She is torn between following him and staying with her still-frightened little boy, who was still clinging to her. Crouching down to Jayden’s level, she takes both of his hands. “Start from the beginning, honey,” she directs her son.

“Jesse and I woke up early. We were gonna watch some TV.”

His mother frowns but says nothing. Jayden continues, “There was someone in the family room. We called for you, but you didn’t come. Jesse told me to come up and get you.”

“And you just left him down there with someone in the house?”

The eight-year-old shrugs. “What was I going to do? He’s older and bigger than me!”

Jenny nods, letting out a sigh.

She turns her head at the creak of a door opening. Down the hall, the twins are poking their heads out of their rooms. Josh’s ginger curls are mussed and sticking up at odd angles. Jordan yawns, stretching, causing his shirt to ride up. Jenny stands and walks toward them, leading Jayden. “I need you to watch your brother, okay?”

Josh meets her eyes. “Mom, what’s going on?” He stumbles as Bruno and Thor, their black Great Dane and German Shepherd, respectively, push their way forward, wanting to see what is going on.

She gives her oldest son what she hopes is a reassuring smile. “Probably nothing.” She hurries down the stairs to catch up with Jimmy.

Jordan watches her go with narrowed blue eyes. He crouches down to his little brother’s level. “Hey, Jay, what was that all about?” He indicates with a nod of his head the space their mother had just vacated.

Jayden shakes his head. “It’s not nothing. She and Dad are checking the house.”

Jordan tilts his head, thinking he hasn’t heard his brother correctly. “What?”

Josh holds up his hand. “Whoa, wait. Checking the house for what? Jay, spill it.”

He recounts the story to his brothers. Jordan’s mouth tightens. He starts to head down the stairs, only to be stopped by his twin. The two hold a silent conversation. Or rather an argument. Jordan rips his arm free.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not okay with the fact that someone broke into our house while we were all sleeping. Or that our _twelve-year-old brother _is the one trying to defend our home! I’m going down there.”

* * *

  
  


Jimmy practically runs down the stairs. His heart was hammering inside his chest. Did someone really break into the house? But, how? He locked the doors. And why didn’t the alarm go off or the dogs start barking? If someone was down there, two of his children could be in danger. Jayden said they spotted the intruder in the family room. The same room where his daughter was sleeping. _ What on earth would possess Jesse to go after the intruder? Damn it, that boy could be so headstrong!_

He reaches the family room. He hastens over to the couch. She’s gone. The room is empty. The blanket he had wrapped his daughter in just hours ago lies forgotten. But it’s not the only thing he notices that is out of place. Everything in him freezes as he notices the drops of blood on the hardwood floor.

Jimmy jumps at a hand touching his shoulder. He whirls around. Seeing that it is only Jenny, he exhales, shoulders sagging in relief.

“Have you found them yet?”

He shakes his head no. But Jenny picks up on his distraction. “Sweetheart, what is it?” She peers around to see what had held his attention just moments before. She grasps his arm, meeting his eyes, asking him who it belongs to. Jimmy’s reply is cut short when they hear a commotion in the kitchen.

A shared look of fear. They walk toward the kitchen quickly, yet quietly. Jimmy goes first, as to protect his wife from who or what they might find. Jenny never lets go of him as they make their way to the room.

He barely steps a toe into the kitchen when one of his steak knives comes spiraling out at it, making him take a step back. Unfortunately, he steps on Jenny’s foot. Guilt at causing her pain pierces him, as do her nails to his bicep. He turns to his wife, a remorseful expression on his face.

“Sorry,” he mouths.

A cry of pain brings their attention back to the kitchen. They poke their heads into the doorway. Surveying the scene, Jimmy notices drops of blood standing out against the stark white of the tiled floor, several cabinets and drawers left open, a dish towel discarded on the edge of the sink, and an upended barstool.

But it is the scene playing out in front of the breakfast nook, to the left of the kitchen proper, that makes his stomach drop. It’s not the first time Jimmy has seen his kids fight. Fights breaking out between the boys are a somewhat common occurrence in the Parker household. And it’s no surprise to him that Jesse is one of the combatants; that boy has always been a handful. But this time, it is Alyssa on the receiving end of his aggression.

How could he not see it before? Alyssa was the stranger that Jayden warned them about. They knew of her and that she was coming to live with them, but not that she had arrived that morning or what she looked like. And it doesn’t help that Jesse was the type to act first and ask questions later. _ Shit. Maybe, it's time to break this up. _

Then Alyssa flings Jesse off herself with such force that both kids end up on their backs. Jenny gasps, clutching her robe. Jimmy doesn't blame her; he hates to see any of his kids in pain, especially since he could have prevented this. Neither child moves for a moment. When their son picks himself up, he feels the tension leave Jenny. 

"Thank God," she murmurs to herself.

Jimmy smiles, or rather attempts to. "See, Jesse is fine," he reassures his wife.

But their relief is short-lived when their son starts punching and kicking his sister. Anger and horror flare up in Jimmy. He has never taught any of the kids to hit someone when they're down. After what went down with Kreese, Johnny, Bobby, and LaRusso decades ago, the thought sickens him.

He is broken out of his reverie by shouts of "stop" and "get off of me" coming from Alyssa. Squeezing Jenny's hand, he indicates the urgency of breaking this up. Just as they make it to the kids, Alyssa strikes hard. Her kick has Jesse doubling over, holding his stomach, wheezing and eyes watering.

Jenny immediately rushes to their son's aid. He kneels down to check on his daughter. She is curled up in the fetal position, her body filled with tension, and arms wrapped around her head to shield it from impending blows. Blood dribbles down her arm onto the white tiles from the cut on the back of her right hand. A wave of protectiveness and sympathy engulfs Jimmy. The second he tries to gather Alyssa into his arms, she fights him. She’s all fists, and elbows, and knees. 

“Alyssa, stop. You’re okay. You’re safe now.”

His words have no effect on her. He doesn’t know if she can hear him or doesn’t want to. Despite her struggling, he pulls her up into half-sitting position, her head on his shoulder. 

“Alyssa, calm down. It’s me, Jimmy. It’s Dad. Just look at me.”

Her eyes, once clenched shut, fly open and meet his own. As recognition sets in, the fight leaves body and exhaustion sets in. Her dark gaze is clouded with confusion, though still very much guarded.

“You’re okay,” he murmurs reassuringly, smiling.

Jimmy brushes the hair from her face. He frowns when he notices that a lock of her hair is matted with blood. Gently probing the area, he finds a gash at her hairline. He inhales sharply. _ Please, let this look worse than it is. _ She jerks away from his touch.

“Sorry,” Jimmy apologizes with a wince. “Why don’t we get you cleaned up?”

He helps her stand up and they walk to the breakfast table. He only lets go of her long enough to pull out the closest chair. “I’m fine. I don’t need your help,” she grumbles, lowering herself into it.

Jimmy raises a skeptical brow. “Yeah, I can see that.”

Grabbing the dishtowel from the edge of the sink, he wraps up her hand to stop the bleeding. At that moment, the twins, Jayden, and the family dogs come bounding into the kitchen. Everything goes quiet. Well, except for the barking and panting from the dogs. 

Bewilderment takes over Alyssa as she takes in the newcomers. One of the teenage boys, a younger version of her father, holds a baseball bat. The lanky red-haired teen wields a guitar as one would a club. Behind them stands a boy half their age, clutching the collars of two very large dogs.

The three boys aren’t quite sure what they’ve walked in on. The room is a bit of a mess: cabinets and drawers are open, a barstool is overturned, and on the floor lies a knife. They spot a small trail of blood. Their dad is holding the hand of a teenage girl that they’ve never seen before. Their mom and brother are on the kitchen floor surrounded by cleaning supplies.

The little boy’s eyes widen when he sees the girl. “That’s the girl who was sleeping on our couch!” he shouts to his brothers.

Jimmy gives them a curt smile. “Morning, boys. You’re a bit late to the party. Meet your sister. If you wouldn’t mind taking Bruno and Thor for a morning walk, that would be nice. Josh, if you ever use that guitar as a weapon, you are grounded until you’re thirty and paying back every penny of it. Now, all of you, out. We’ll talk later.”

He strides over to the other end of the kitchen, taking something out of the small cabinet on the right above the refrigerator. It's the first aid kit. Setting it down on the table, he walks to the sink to wash his hands thoroughly. Then he grabs a bowl, filling it with warm water, and a clean dishcloth.

The three boys look at each other. Jordan frowns. _ Dad never brushes us off. What happened before we got here? And our sister? What? _ Not seeing much of a choice they leave the kitchen.

* * *

Jimmy stands silently, cleaning the cut on his daughter’s head. Alyssa tries not to wince as the cloth rubs against it. It still stings, even though it had stopped bleeding sometime during the fight. Trying to stay still while he works, she finds herself bored and looks around the kitchen. She finds herself watching the boy who attacked her, apparently one of her half-brothers, scrub the kitchen floor on his hands and knees. His mother went upstairs a few minutes ago to get dressed. He must have noticed her watching him, as he stops and glares at her.

“What are you staring at? You should be the one down here cleaning. It’s your blood!”

“Yeah, it might be my blood. But it wouldn’t have been spilled if it wasn’t for you!”

Jimmy briefly closes his eyes, mentally counting to ten. 

“Oh, come on,” Jesse scoffs, sitting back and tossing the scrub brush at her feet. “I didn’t even cut you!”

“Not for lack of trying!” she bites back, leaning forward, making stabbing movements with her hand. “You were the one that attacked me with a freaking knife! And it was your fault that I hit my head on that table, in the first place!”

“Well, you shouldn’t have been sleeping on our couch.”

Alyssa rolls her eyes at the boy. “And where would you have me sleep? The car? The front porch?”

Jesse stands, getting up in her face. “I don’t know. The airport? Whatever rock you crawled out from? Nobody wants you here.”

Jimmy notices several emotions flit across her face before it ultimately becomes blank. He knows he needs to do something. “Alright, enough, you two!” Both kids jump slightly, as Jimmy isn’t usually one to raise his voice or lose his temper.

He turns to his son, first glancing at the floor. “If you are done here, you might want to start on the family room floor next. Your mom showed you what to use on the hardwood floors?”

After receiving a nod of affirmation, Jimmy sends his son out of the room. He carefully places a bandage on the cut, careful not to trap a strand of hair. Unsure of what to say to his daughter, he gently takes her injured hand in his own. He checks to make sure that it has stopped bleeding. As Jimmy washes away the dried blood, he looks up at his daughter, seeing how she attempts to maintain an impassive expression, yet failing by the way she bites her lip. Afraid that she will hurt herself, Jimmy finally speaks.

“Don’t listen to Jesse. He’s wrong. _ I _ want you here. Jenny wants you here, too. We want to get to know you more than anything. Just give the boys time.”

Brown eyes meet blue. “Did you even tell them about me?” Her voice is as hard and brittle as ice. “My… brothers, I mean. They didn’t seem to know I was coming.”

Looking down in shame, Jimmy replies. “I did, but probably not soon enough. They haven’t had enough time to get used to the idea of you, let alone that you were coming to live with us. And then we all,” he grimaces as he pauses, "forgot when my friend Tommy took a turn for the worse. I am sorry about that.”

Alyssa looks away. "So you've said. But it's hard not to take it personally."

* * *

Nearly two hours later, everyone is congregating in the living room. _ Or rather, family room _ , Alyssa corrects herself. _ At least, that's what Jimmy called it. _ He had called a family meeting. At hearing that, a queasy feeling started up in the pit of her stomach. And it wasn’t from the breakfast smoothie that Jenny made her.

She had hoped to grab a spot on the couch that she had slept on a few hours ago. Or even on the much larger gray sectional. But they had been quickly claimed by her new brothers, who apparently enlisted help from the family dogs. Jesse, that brat who tried to kill her, and the youngest practically lie toe to toe on that soft black leather couch. Jesse smirks at her as she enters the room. Alyssa curls her hands into fists. While the two teens, the ginger one apparently named Josh and the jock, whose name she doesn’t yet know, lounge on the sectional with a German Shepherd between them and the huge as hell Great Dane on the end.

Alyssa stands awkwardly, arms crossed, trying to decide whether to sit in an armchair or find an out of the way spot on the floor, trying to be as invisible as possible. She jumps at the feeling of a hand on her back. Alyssa turns her head to snap at Jimmy, only to be stunned into silence by the smiling face of his wife.

“Come on. You can sit with your dad and me.” Alyssa stares at her stepmother blankly. Jenny puts an arm around the girl, leading her to the oversized pewter armchair, where Jimmy sits waiting. He stands when they reach him, offering up his seat. Alyssa reluctantly sits down, situating herself as close to the right arm as she can get.

Jenny shakes her head, taking her husband’s hand. She leans in to whisper into his ear. “No, dear. The two of you need each other right now.” Jimmy looks into her eyes, grateful for her love and support, nods and sits back down. When he puts an arm around Alyssa's shoulders, the teen spies a smile of satisfaction on her stepmother's face.

_ Why is she being so nice to me? _

Unfortunately, that same action causes her new brothers to direct frowns and glares her way. She looks down, hoping that they don't notice how uncomfortable she is. Clenching her jaw, she tries to create some distance by placing a throw pillow in between them. 

Jimmy, feeling the already present tension in his daughter grow, grimaces inwardly. _ I'm sorry, sweetheart. I guess I should have made sure that you were okay with it. _ He removes his arm, leans forward, and clasps his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. He looks each of his sons in the eye.

"This isn’t how I wanted you to meet. But none of this has gone to plan, not that there has been a lot of time to plan anything,” he rambles. “Boys, this is your sister. Her name is Alyssa.”

He looks over his shoulder at his daughter, giving her a small smile.

“Alyssa, I would like to properly introduce you to your brothers. On the couch are our younger sons. Jayden is eight. You’ve already met Jesse, our twelve-year-old.”

Both she and Jesse glare at each other, which doesn’t escape Jimmy’s attention. In fact, it fills him with a sense of dread. _ How much worse can it get between these two? _

Continuing, “Last, but not least of all, are your older brothers. Josh is the redhead.” The young man gives her a polite smile, which was more of a lip twitch than anything else. “On the other side of the dog, is Jordan. They are seventeen. Fraternal twins,” he clarifies. “And of course, you’ve met my beautiful wife, Jenny.” Jimmy takes his wife’s hand, beaming at her with love and admiration.

Turning his attention back to the boys. “I know that you all have questions. Now is the time to ask them.”

For a moment, no one speaks. Alyssa relaxes. Jayden frowns and tilts his head, confused. He raises his hand. Jimmy smiles indulgently at his little boy. “Buddy, you don’t have to raise your hand.”

“Is she adopted?”

Jimmy blinks in surprise. “No, son. She’s my biological daughter. Why did you think she was adopted?”

“Because she’s older than me and Jesse. And she doesn’t look like you or Mommy.”

Alyssa feels like her stomach just plummeted through the floor. _ And there it is. I’m going to be the reason a family breaks up. Again! And it’s not even my fault. Or Mom’s. _

“That’s because she’s not Mom’s, stupid!”

Jayden scratches his head at Jesse’s words. "But how can she be Dad's and not Mommy's?"

Jesse practically gets in his little brother's face. "Because he cheated on her!"

A hush falls over the room. The little boy's face falls.

Alyssa scrunches up and rips the pillow from between her and Jimmy to hide her face, trying her best to sink into the armchair. She lets out a low sound, falling somewhere between a groan and a moan. Jimmy gives his middle son a hard look. His wife is off the ottoman and crouching in front of Jay in an instant.

“Come on, baby. Let's go find you something to play in your room,” she says, pulling him into a tight embrace, ushering the boy out. 

Turning back to his sons, Jimmy wears an indignant expression on his face. “I have never cheated on your mother.”

“Then how come we have a half-sister that is, what, no more than two or three years younger than Josh and me?” Jordan pipes up, a coldness to his voice. It is at this moment that Jenny walks back into the room. Husband and wife meet each other's eyes.

Jimmy closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before responding. “Your mom and I, for a long time, we struggled to have a baby. It was only with medical intervention that we were blessed with you and Josh. Before and after you were born, it wasn’t easy. Artificial insemination, fertility drugs, surgery… They don’t always work and even if they do, there isn’t always a guarantee that pregnancy goes to term.”

He goes quiet. His body shakes as he keeps the tears and emotions inside. Jenny looks at him, empathizing, knowing that he is remembering all those painful memories. Sometimes, she wonders how they got through all the mood swings due to hormone treatments with their marriage intact. They both felt like they were failing in life, as a couple, and each other. She remembers the pain of miscarrying. And then the joy at finally having their family, but the constant fear that something could go wrong.

Jimmy rubs his face with both hands, trying to go on. He looks at each of his sons, trying to convey how much they mean to him in a single glance. “We got so lucky with all of you. There were some complications, but you and your mom made it through.”

Turning to the twins, he smiles. “When your mom was pregnant with you, we barely allowed ourselves to hope. But you can’t imagine how we felt when the doctors told us that two of our three embryos took. And you just kept growing and getting stronger, sometimes despite the odds.”

He stops again, frowning. “We wanted to expand our family, but the treatments became too much. So we stopped.” His smile returns. “But after a few years, we were graced with two very welcome surprises,” Jimmy glances at Jesse. He can’t help but return the smile.

Josh finally speaks, running a hand through his red curls. “But, Dad, you still haven’t explained how she plays into this.”

Jimmy nods. “The fertility clinic that we used is the same one that Alyssa’s mother and her husband went to. Apparently, somebody made a mistake. My… sample was used and that’s how you have a sister,” he wraps up, hoping that he doesn’t have to go into more detail.

He studies his sons, trying to gauge their reactions. Jesse sits with his arms crossed, impassive. The twins look horrified.

“Wait. What? How did they screw that up?”

“Are you kidding me? You’re suing, right?”

Jimmy isn’t quite sure how to answer. He’s pondered this question himself since finding out about Alyssa. Nor is he sure that his kids really need to know. All that matters is that he has a daughter and that she is taken care of.

“I’m not sure how, but I’m trying to get answers. Yes, we are suing. As is Michelle, Alyssa’s mother. For medical malpractice and negligence, among other things. But right now, right here, that doesn’t matter. All that does is that I have a daughter, you have a sister, and she will be living with us.”

As he says this, he peers over at his daughter. She is still hiding behind the pillow that she clutches so tightly. Jimmy places his hand on her shoulder, giving it what he hopes is a comforting squeeze.

“When did you find out about her?” The question comes from Jesse.

“Less than a month ago. Father’s Day.”

The ginger-haired boy narrows his eyes. “You just find out about her and she’s coming to live with us? Seems kinda fishy to me. Are you sure she’s even yours? Dad, I think they’re trying to get money out of you. Her and that mother of hers.”

Though she has been silent for all this time, Alyssa has heard everything being said. Her heart broke for Jimmy and his wife at hearing how they struggled to have a family. It’s clear that he loves his wife and his kids. _ That includes you _ , a voice inside her says. She shakes it off. _ No, he doesn’t know me. He may want to love me, but that doesn’t mean he will. It’s not the first time someone says that and takes it back, abandoning me. I won’t let it happen again. _

When the topic turned to her and her conception, she wishes she could disappear. They don’t need to know that. Somebody screwed up. She was born. She’s here. That’s all they need to know. But she is glad that both of her parents are looking into matters with the fertility clinic. Alyssa doesn’t want anyone to go through even a small part of what she is going through. Then Jesse had to open his big mouth. She won’t stand for it.

She jumps up, quite abruptly. “SHUT UP! He found out about me a month ago! So what? He knew about me days before I knew about him. I never asked him for anything. I didn’t ask to fly across the country and move in with strangers. I’m here because I don’t have a choice! As for tests? Yeah, we did that. I had my mouth swabbed and my blood drawn. I saw a copy of the results. I’m his, whether we like it or not. Get over it! And don’t you ever fucking talk about my mother!”

After her tirade, Alyssa slings the pillow she had been holding. It smacks Jesse right in the face. She runs out of the room. The dogs jump up and start barking. Jesse starts wailing. “Mooommm! She hit me!”

Jimmy seems to deflate. Things were going well, at least as well as they could be under the circumstances. Just thinking about how his attempts to ensure an easy transition from one home to another is failing miserably makes him angry. And his son’s hot temper and smart mouth continue to make things worse. He fights the urge to yell at his son, knowing that it won’t help. Closing his eyes defeatedly, Jimmy pinches the bridge of his nose.

SLAM!

His eyes snap open. _ She didn’t just… No. _ Fear floods his senses. _ She can’t just leave. Where is she going to go? _He leaps off the chair and runs out of the room.

Throwing the door open, Jimmy looks out in all directions. She’s not on the front steps. He can’t see her anywhere in the front yard. As his heart hammers inside his chest, he tries to stay calm and rational. _ Alyssa can’t have gone far. She hasn’t had the time. Nor does she know the area. _ He decides to check around and behind the house. If he still doesn’t find her, then he’ll venture out into the neighborhood.

He spends at least ten minutes running around the yard, looking behind trees and shrubbery. He checks the garage, which one of the boys must have unintentionally left open. Jimmy makes it behind the house, scanning around the pool. He doesn’t see her. But he can’t see the covered patio from here.

Jimmy walks around the deck chairs, peering around a column. The hope he didn’t realize that he was holding dissipates when he doesn’t see his daughter sitting at the picnic table in one of those blue chairs. But as he gets closer, he hears something. Turning the corner he sees bare feet. Alyssa is sitting against the wall of the house, her head resting on her knees, hair covering her face.

For a brief second, his heart rejoices. He’s found her! But then he notices the state that she is in. He can tell that she is crying by the way her shoulders shake and the gasping sounds she makes. Jimmy fights his instinct to rush over to her and take her in his arms. Instead, he approaches her cautiously, barely making a sound. He crouches down in front of the girl.

“There you are,” he remarks, voice soft.

But it was just enough to startle her. Her head pops up, eyes wide. Alyssa glances away, embarrassed and a bit annoyed that he caught her crying. She rubs at her eyes, trying to make the tears stop.

Jimmy offers her a hand, which she just looks at warily. Tilting his head, he says, “Come on, I’m not going to bite. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk. And I doubt that the concrete is very comfortable to sit on.”

Rolling her eyes, Alyssa reluctantly takes the offered hand. When both are upright, Jimmy pulls out two chairs. He points at one. She sits down, letting out a small huff. He then sits down in the other chair facing her.

“Okay, first off, you can’t just run away from your problems.”

She opens her mouth, ready to argue. Jimmy merely raises an eyebrow at her.

“Alyssa, you didn’t just run out of the room; you ran out the front door.” As he continues, his voice grows louder and harder. “You nearly gave me a damn heart attack. I didn’t know if you were still here or if you left the neighborhood. And if you had, I would have no idea where to start looking for you because you don’t know your way around and as you keep pointing out, we don’t know each other that well.”

She cringes, both at his words and his tone. At his words, because he is right. It has been ten long years since she was in Los Angeles. Not that she remembers much of those first five years of her life. But his tone affects Alyssa more. She can hear the anger and disappointment in his voice. It has her biting the inside of her cheek and unconsciously clawing at her arms; something she wasn't aware of until Jimmy laid a hand on her arm.

His expression softens. “Sweetheart, I don’t mean to be harsh, but you really worried me. You can’t keep doing that. You and I need to go over the rules and what is expected of you. But I believe that right now, you still need your rest. So, why don’t we head inside and I can show you to your room?”

She stares at him. “I have a room?”

He gives her a confused smile. “Of course. What, you think I’m going to make you sleep on the couch forever? I would have taken you up to your room last night, but you were already asleep.”

* * *

  
  


As Jimmy opens the door, he holds his breath. He doesn’t know how she will feel about the room. The room is small, decorated primarily in white. There is a little color: faux ivy hangs above a sign over the bed and the mantelpiece, a few small plants here and there, the bedding has some grayish-blue tones in differing patterns, and a beige rug covers half of the hardwood floor. The dark metal bed frame and chandelier stand out against the whiteness of the room.

Alyssa’s expression doesn’t give much away. But she isn’t too thrilled with it if she is being honest with herself. _ It’s just too white! _ And so small that she finds it suffocating. There is little in the way of furniture, merely the bed and an armoire on the other side of the room. _ There is nowhere for my stuff to go _, she realizes, frowning. Glancing around, she reads the decorative signs around the room. The one above the bed reads, “I belong with you… you belong with me.” It makes her uncomfortable.

Jimmy clears his throat, causing Alyssa to look at him. “So, uh, this is where you’ll be staying. At least, for the time being.”

Her brow furrows. “For the time being?”

He sighs, crossing his arms. “Well, this is, technically, the guest room.”

Anger and hurt surge through her. “G-guest room!” she explodes, approaching him. “Is that what I am? A guest? A guest in your house? I thought I was your daughter! That I’m supposed to be a part of your family!”

Alyssa shoves him. Or rather attempts to, stopped only by Jimmy catching her forearms. She jerks, trying to free herself, but he doesn’t let go. Lips pursed, he walks her back to the bed.

“Sit down and listen,” he directs his daughter in a manner that commands respect, just like at Denny’s, hours before. Alyssa has no choice but to comply. However, she shoots him a look between a glare and a pout. Jimmy studies her for a long moment, arms crossed.

“If you would have let me finish, I was trying to tell you that staying in the guest room was a temporary solution. While the plan was always that you would come to live with us, your uncle’s death sped up the timeline. Jenny and I didn’t have as much time to prepare for your arrival. We are trying to get your bedroom ready. And I had hoped that you and I could decorate it together. I still do. But right now, this is the only available bedroom.”

As he talks, some of Alyssa’s anger dissipates. But now, she feels even worse. She’s still angry, but more at herself. She’s also feeling a lot of other things at the moment. Guilt at making Jimmy worry and jumping to conclusions. Confusion at how she feels about her place in this new family, whether or not she wants a relationship with Jimmy, and why she cares about certain things. Things like the size of a room or how someone talks about a mother she hardly knows. Not to mention, the massive headache that just set in. She closes her eyes, hoping that it helps. It doesn’t.

“Alyssa. Alyssa? Young lady, are you even listening to me?”

She cracks an eye open, peering up at him. “Hmm. What?”

Jimmy looks down at her consternation. But he can’t stay annoyed with her when he notices the way she rubs at her forehead. “You know what? We can finish this later. I want you to stay here and rest. Maybe when I come back, you will feel better and have a better attitude.”

He barely has time to turn around before she lies back on the bed. Closing the door, Jimmy glances back to see her clutch one pillow to her body and bury her face in another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to both TheLadyDisdain and LibertinePast for their help in fixing some issues that I had in this chapter.


	3. Growing Pains/Crime and Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sibling cold war. Growing pains in Jimmy's relationship with Alyssa.

Nearly twenty-four hours after the boys’ calamitous first encounter with their new sister, things appear to be calmer in the Parker house. The boys were back to their usual selves, for the most part. They are currently sleeping in, as they tend to do when they don’t have school or practices to attend. As for Alyssa? She didn't leave the guest room all day. Neither he nor Jenny could cajole or threaten her out of the room, not even for meals.

Frankly, Jimmy’s patience is wearing thin. One of the house rules is that mealtimes are family time. “Something she would know if she would open the damn door,” Jimmy grouses to himself as he lifts the lid on the crockpot. His breakfast casserole wasn’t finished cooking yet. He makes a note to make sure Alyssa eats this morning, even if he has to break down the door and carry her downstairs himself.

“I’m going to kill you!”

Any chance of a peaceful morning is promptly shattered. He hears a stampede upon the stairs. Sighing, Jimmy strides into the hallway, to see what is going on. A blur with copper-colored hair dashes in front of him toward the first-floor bedroom of his youngest sons.

“Jesse?”

His son slides to a clumsy stop, looking over his shoulder. He opens his mouth to answer his father but stops. His eyes widen, as if in fear. His son’s reaction causes Jimmy to frown. He turns back toward the stairs, to see what has captured Jesse’s attention.

BAM!

As soon as he turns around, a body slams into him. The impact has him stumble back a step. Jimmy instinctively wraps his arms around the person to prevent them from falling.

“Whoa.”

It takes him a few seconds to realize that he is holding his daughter. He blinks, stunned. But he’s not sure which shocks him more, that she is out of the guest room voluntarily or that she is currently in his arms. Or is it that she is wearing nothing but a towel? And that she is sopping wet, dripping all over the hardwood floors and soaking his shirt.

“Al-Alyssa, what’s going on? Where are your clothes?”

She barely acknowledges him. Instead, she attempts to scramble out of his grasp to reach Jesse. “Ask your little pervert of a son!”

Jimmy flinches. Jesse is many things, but a _ pervert _ wasn’t one of them. At least, not that he has seen. He knows the boy will be going through puberty soon if he hasn’t started already. And he’s already had “the talk” with him. But what could he have done for Alyssa to call him that?

He frowns, looking over his shoulder at the boy. Jesse’s eyes are glued to his sister. A mix of fear and pride shines in those eyes. He stands behind him, but Jimmy can tell that his son is just itching to run to the safety of his room.

“Jesse, what did you do?”

Before his son can answer, Alyssa beats him to the punch. “I’ll tell you what he did. I was taking a shower. He broke in, spied on me, and stole my clothes!”

Jimmy blanches at the accusation. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. Horror and anger threaten to flood his senses. “Jesse, please tell me this isn’t true,” he implores his son in a hard voice.

Alyssa stares up at him in disbelief. “You, you think I’m lying?” She glares at him, her lips curling in outrage and betrayal. “Why am I surprised?” She turns away from him. “Of course you would believe _ your son _. You don’t really give a damn about me.”

At her statement, Jimmy’s eyes pop open. He can make out how hurt she is at the perceived rejection. She tries to pull away.

“Let go of me!”

But Jimmy refuses to let go. “Oh, honey. I didn’t mean… That’s not what I was saying.”

Before he could make any headway, his son captures her attention. “I wasn’t spying on you! Who’d want to? Gross,” he sneers.

Alyssa tilts her head to the side, narrowing her eyes at him. “So, what? My clothes just magically disappeared?”

Jesse rolls his eyes. “How should I know? You didn’t even lock the door.”

“I’m stuck living in a house with five guys. Of course, I locked the damn door!”

Jimmy frowns. “Alyssa, watch your language.” But it’s not his daughter’s continued use of profanity that is bothering him. He glances over his shoulder at his son. “How would you know whether or not she locked the door? And what were you doing upstairs at this time of the morning?”

Alyssa lights up in triumph, smirking at Jesse.

He shrugs it off. “She just moved in. She doesn’t know that the lock is messed up. Or that there’s a trick to it.”

Jimmy’s frown deepens. His daughter flushes, turning angry eyes on him. “Was no one going to tell me about that?” He sighs.

“Alyssa, I’m sorry. The twins are the only ones who use that bathroom. It doesn’t really bother them. And I just haven’t had time to get around to it. But don’t worry. I’ll get to it today.” Placing his hands on her shoulders, he gently turns her back toward the staircase. “Now, why don’t you go upstairs and get dressed? Breakfast will be ready soon.”

She shoots him an unsatisfied glare. But she trudges up the stairs, unwillingly of course. Jimmy takes his son by the arm, walking closer to the boy’s room. His face is hard and serious. The twelve-year-old squirms under his dad’s scrutiny. “You never answered me.”

“Dad! I just did,” Jesse exclaims incredulously.

His father directs a skeptical brow at him. “No. You didn’t tell me what you were doing upstairs. Your brothers are still asleep. It’s not like there aren’t two bathrooms on this floor. So, you can’t use Jay as an excuse. The family room is on this floor. You obviously weren’t looking for your mother or me. Jesse, you deliberately went after your sister. Admit it.”

Guilt colors the boy’s face, clashing against his copper-red hair. His mouth opens to speak. But he doesn’t get the chance.

“You little troll!”

Alyssa comes barreling down the stairs. She practically launches herself at her brother. Jimmy barely has time to put himself between the two. As hard as she fought before, that was nothing compared to now. He could tell she wanted to hurt Jesse. He wraps his arms tightly around her, forcibly walking her backward until her back hits the wall.

“Alyssa! Stop this. Why are you trying to attack your brother?”

She reluctantly relents. As she looks up into his eyes, he can see the barely contained fury. She takes a few deep breaths before she speaks. “He took my clothes!”

Jimmy holds in the urge to roll his eyes. “Yes, sweetheart. We covered that. He will be punished; I promise you that.” Realizing that she’s still only wearing a towel, he closes his eyes for a second. “But right now, you really need to go upstairs and get dressed.” He takes her arm and starts to lead her up the stairs.

Alyssa comes to a halt halfway up the staircase. She tries to rip her arm away, but his grip is firm. “No! He didn’t just take what I had in the bathroom. Everything is gone! I don’t have anything to change into!”

He stops in his tracks. He studies her face. In addition to the anger and embarrassment Jesse has caused, Jimmy can see how she is begging for him to believe her. “Okay,” he says softly. “Let’s go make sure.”

* * *

“See? Nothing!” Alyssa stands in the middle of the guest room, her new room, with her arms crossed. Jimmy pinches the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. He mentally counts to ten, trying to keep calm for his son’s sake.

The armoire had been thrown open. There is not a single article of clothing in it. Alyssa’s luggage, formerly out of the way against the wall, lies at their feet. Each piece is open, every pocket thoroughly searched. She’s right. They can’t find a single shirt or pair of pants anywhere in the room. They’ve even looked under the bed.

“Jesse,” he calls out. He knew the boy followed them, keeping his distance.

He can hear the small, yet high-pitched “yeah”, coming from the hallway.

“Get in here, now,” he orders. Something that does not go over well with the room’s current occupant. Her hands curl into fists. She even stomps her foot.

“NO! Absolutely not! He already invaded my room, went through my stuff, and stole my clothes. He’s not coming in here!”

Jimmy, in no mood for this, holds up one hand in her direction. “Alyssa, please, not now.”

She can tell by the tone of his voice, that this is one argument she won’t win. Even if she is in the right. Alyssa scowls, plopping herself down on the bed with a disgruntled huff.

Jesse pokes his head into view but stays out in the hall. He feels safer out there. From both his dad and … new half-sister. He knows he’s in trouble and that his dad is waiting for an answer. While Jesse stalls and tries to think of something, Jordan’s door flies open. His elder brother catches sight of him.

“There you are, twerp!”

Jesse's inclination to run is even stronger. Before he can do so, the teen stalks over and grabs him by his upper arm.

"Stay out of my room! If I catch you in there again, I'm going to tell Mom where you’re hiding those video games that you aren’t allowed to play." He gives him a good shake for emphasis.

Jesse glances around his brother at their father. His green eyes plead for intervention. For a second, Jimmy considers leaving the boy at the mercy of his brother. But he has his own matters to settle with his third son.

Jimmy walks into the hall. "Jordan, let him go."

With a glare at the boy, he complies with the demand. Jimmy crosses his arms, shooting the twelve-year-old a stern look.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself? What were you doing in his room? I know what you were doing in your sister's."

The boy tries to appear innocent, but nobody's buying it. "I didn't--"

Jordan shakes his head. "Don't even deny it, you little shit. I know it was you. Even if Jay was brave or stupid enough to come in, he doesn't know how to open the window."

Jimmy's mouth twists at his son's language. But at the last word, his eyes cut from the younger son to the elder. "The window?"

Jordan turns to him. "Yeah. I woke up to a cool breeze. It was wide open. I look out and find these," he holds up a pair of lavender boyshorts between his thumb and forefinger.

Jimmy feels a knot form in the pit of his stomach. _ No, he didn't… _

"Where did you get those?" The shrill, angry tone of Alyssa's voice jolts him back to the present. All three turn to see her in the doorway. Her eyes betray her fury, but the color seems to have gone out of her face. She snatches the garment from Jordan.

He grimaces. "Yours, I take it? Tough break. Good thing the guest room doesn't have a window. I wouldn't want to see my boxers decorating the roof and front lawn either."

She stares at him in horror before dashing past him to his room. "Alyssa, wait!" Jimmy calls to her, his fingertips brushing against her arm as he reaches for her. He shoots daggers at Jesse. The boy has the decency to cower.

As Jimmy enters his eldest son's room, he hears a low moan. His daughter leans against the wall, knuckles white from gripping the window frame. She turns away from him as he walks closer.

He peers out the window, his stomach dropping when he sees the damage. His eyes shut tightly and he forces himself to take deep breaths while clenching his hands into fists. Otherwise, he might do something he would regret.

Swallowing his anger, he calls Jordan forward. “Get your brother.”

“No need. I’m right here.” The lanky redhead pokes his head into his twin’s room. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes. “Kinda hard to sleep with all the shouting and running up and down the stairs,” he yawns. “What’s going on?”

“One of you, take your sister to my room. Tell your mother she needs something to wear. Be quick about it. I’m going to need your help. I’ll fill you in when you get back.”

Josh is baffled, yet walks into the room. He very lightly puts his hand on Alyssa’s shoulder. 

“Come with me,” he softly bids her. To Jimmy’s surprise, she allows the physical contact and she goes with Josh. 

Jesse tries to slip away. Jimmy grabs him by the shirt. He tilts the boy’s head up so that they are looking at each other in the eye. “Oh, no, you don’t. You made this mess. You’re sure as hell going to help clean it up.”

* * *

This was not how he saw his morning going. Right now, he should be drinking his morning coffee and eating breakfast with his family. But no. Instead, he is standing on a ladder twenty feet in the air, rescuing his daughter’s unmentionables from the roof.

He slings the last of the garments over his shoulder before slowly climbing down. His sons, barring Jayden, are on the ground gathering up Alyssa’s clothes that landed on the grass or in the shrubbery and putting them into laundry baskets. Well, one of the twins was holding the ladder steady for him.

As he steps off the ladder, he places his load in the nearest basket. He glances around the yard. He breathes a sigh of relief. “Please tell me that was the last of it,” he says to the twins.

“It appears to be,” Josh reckons.

“I hope so,” Jordan mutters at the same time.

Jimmy nods. “Alright, let’s go inside. We’ll let your sister sort through them after breakfast, just to be sure.”

As Jesse starts to head inside, Jimmy pulls his son back. “The first thing you’re going to do is apologize to Alyssa. I don’t know what made you think that this was a good idea. And I don’t really care. But it’s a mistake you’re going to pay for. You are going to wish I let her get her hands on you.”

Satisfaction fills him as Jesse seems to shrink in place.

* * *

Jenny was just about to jump into the shower when there was a knock at the bedroom door. _ That’s strange. Jimmy should be the only one up right now. And I know he’s fixing breakfast. _ She throws her robe back on and opens the door.

Josh stands there, looking a bit sheepish. “Uh, morning, Mom.” He turns to the side, beckoning. Jenny is stunned to see Alyssa appear beside her son, hiding behind a curtain of damp hair and clutching a towel to her slender frame. “Dad wants you to help Alyssa find something to wear.”

Jenny frowns. _ I knew Jimmy would become protective of his daughter, but surely, he’s going overboard a bit soon. Her clothes can’t be that revealing. _ “Of course, I can help. But I think your sister is old enough and capable of picking out her own clothes.”

Josh grimaces. “See, there’s the problem. She kinda doesn’t have any at the moment.”

Her green eyes narrow. She opens her mouth to get him to clarify that for her, but he’s already walking away. “Sorry, but I’ve gotta help Dad.”

Watching him go, she sighs and shakes her head. Then she focuses on her stepdaughter, putting a smile on her face to reassure her. “You must be freezing. Let’s see if we can find you something.” Jenny wraps an arm around Alyssa, causing the girl to flinch. She takes notice, but says nothing, leading her inside the room.

Jenny disappears into the walk-in closet, intent on finding something the girl can wear. Alyssa hovers right by the door, hugging her arms to her body. She glances around the room, not only taking in her surroundings but trying to get a feel for its occupants.

The master bedroom is huge, decorated in royal blue, charcoal gray, and white with furniture of a rich, dark polished wood. Everything appears very neat and perfect, making Alyssa feel even more out of place. She notices that there are numerous photos on the walls: a much younger Jimmy and Jenny on their wedding day; their sons at various ages; a happy family of six taken recently; a few of people she doesn’t recognize but assumes are Jimmy and Jenny’s parents. Something comes over her, a feeling she can’t describe.

“I think these might fit you.”

Alyssa startles, swinging around.

Jenny stands right behind her, a small stack of various clothing in her arms. Her red brows are raised. “Oh, did I frighten you? I’m sorry, dear.”

A mask of impassivity seems to drop over the girl. “I’m fine,” she replies coolly.

“Alright.” Jenny tries not to let the sudden change affect her. But it does sting. She only wants to help and get to know her. Instead, she walks forward with the clothes, laying them out on the bed. She beckons to Alyssa, who reluctantly walks over.

“Why don’t you try these on, see what you like and what works best for you. The bathroom is through that door,” Jenny directs her.

* * *

  
  


Alyssa walks out. She wears a dark camisole underneath an oversized red and blue plaid lightweight long sleeve shirt with black leggings. She clutches the rest of the items of clothing to her chest.

Jenny, who had been sitting on the bed waiting for her, smiles. “Don’t you look nice?”

The girl’s cheeks turn a slight pink. She tries to hand the clothes back to Jenny, who waves her off. “If those fit, you can keep them. I really need to get rid of a few things.” She pats the bed. “Please join me.”

Alyssa perches on the edge of the bed. But she avoids looking at her. She jerks away at the feeling of Jenny’s fingers in her hair. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry. You have such beautiful hair.”

The girl awkwardly tries to comb out and smooth down her drying tresses. “Um, thanks.”

“Have you thought about braiding it?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know how to. And nobody’s ever done it for me.”

Jenny leans toward her, head tilted so that Alyssa could see that she wears a smile that was meant to be encouraging. “I could braid your hair.”

Uncertainty clouds Alyssa’s features. She can’t help but feel suspicious of this woman’s enthusiasm and intentions. She sounds so eager. _ What does she want? Does she really want to help me? Or is she just trying to suck up to me for Jimmy’s sake? _

“I don’t like people touching my hair.” It was a warning and a brush-off.

But this woman was either persistent or couldn’t take a hint. “Or I could teach you how, if you would prefer that.”

Alyssa is tired of playing games. She just wants to leave. “Maybe some other time,” she remarks. “I should put these up.” She stands.

As she opens the door, Jenny calls out to her. She freezes.

“Alyssa, what wasn’t Josh telling me? What happened to your clothes?”

“Why ask me? You’ll hear about it.”

“Because I want to hear it from you.”

She made it sound so genuine. That and the patience in her voice pisses Alyssa off. She grips the doorframe tightly. “Your son wanted to remind me that I’m not welcome here and tossed everything out the window! Are you happy now?!”

Jenny gasps. Alyssa ran out into the hall. She jumps when the door to the guest room slams shut.

* * *

  
  


Breakfast turns out to be a quiet and awkward affair. Nearly everyone’s eyes are on their plates. Occasionally, dirty looks are thrown Jesse’s way. In fact, the only one who does speak is young Jayden.

“Mommy, why is she wearing your clothes?”

Alyssa flushes. She pushes her chair back and stands. Jimmy lightly grabs her wrist.

“Alyssa, sit down and finish your breakfast.”

She glares down at him, ripping her wrist free. “It needs ketchup,” she replies in a clipped tone. She picks up her plate and takes off into the kitchen. Jimmy clutches his fork, holding in the urge to either yell at her, go after her, or both.

Jayden frowns. “But I don’t understand. It tastes great. Why add anything to it?”

Jimmy can’t help but smile at his youngest. “Thanks, buddy. But your sister has different tastes.”

The eight-year-old nods. “Okay. But nobody answered me. Why is Alyssa wearing Mommy’s clothes? And why is everybody so quiet?”

“Because Jesse did something stupid. And we’re paying the price for it, as usual,” Jordan snarks.

The boy in question opens his mouth, offended. Before he can say a word, the glares of his parents and older brothers keep him silent. 

  
“As for why your sister is wearing a few of my things,” Jenny starts just as the girl walks back in the dining room. She tenses as all eyes turn to her. “I had a few pieces that are too small and I thought your sister might appreciate some new clothes.” Alyssa glares at them, squares her shoulders, juts out her chin, and walks back to her chair, clutching her plate tightly.

It doesn’t escape Jimmy’s notice that she seems to collapse in on herself as soon as she sits down and continues eating. It’s as if someone was squeezing his heart in their hands. _ Oh, honey. You don’t have to act brave. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. _

They continue eating in silence for a few minutes longer. When everyone seems to be finished, Jimmy clears his throat. “Jesse, is there something that you’d like to say?”

Everyone stops what they are doing. Jesse looks a bit sour, but he knows that one prompting from his dad is enough. He sighs, standing. He walks to his sister, who watches him warily. “I’m sorry.”

Impassive, she stands facing him. Though the girl is short, she appears to tower over him. Her right hand comes up. Jimmy assumes that she is going to shake Jesse’s hand, as he has tried to teach his sons that apologizing and shaking hands is an appropriate ending to an argument.

Instead, Alyssa grabs her glass of milk. “Apology not accepted,” she informs before emptying the glass on his flame-colored hair.

Things are so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Then Jordan starts cackling loudly, nearly falling out of his chair. Jayden claps a hand over his mouth. Josh’s eyes widen and he can’t stop shaking his head. But their parents are horrified. They are frozen in shock, slack-jawed.

When Jimmy regains his senses, he is up and out of his chair in an instant. He has his daughter’s arm in a vice grip. He pulls her out of the dining area, over to the stairwell. He forcibly walks her up the stairs; Alyssa protests and attempts to wrest her arm free the whole time. When they reach the landing, halfway up to the second floor, they stop. But he doesn’t let her go. He just wants them to be out of full view of the family before he loses his temper on her. His breath is ragged as he tries to calm himself.

“Go to your room --”

“Gladly!”

“-- and stay there until I say otherwise,” he finishes in a hard voice, ignoring the fact that his fifteen-year-old just yelled in his face. Jimmy lets her go, even though he really wants to walk her to the room himself. She glares at him before spinning on her heels and stomping the rest of the way to the guest room. Once he hears the door slam shut, he turns, balling up his fist and hitting the wall. It wasn’t enough to punch a hole in it, but just enough to make picture frames rattle.

* * *

Jimmy returns to the dining room to find it empty. As he heads into the kitchen through the adjoining door, he nearly runs into his wife. She grows concerned after seeing the look on his face. Jenny takes his hand, leading him to his home office.

They sit on the leather loveseat. She caresses his cheek. “Talk to me, love.”

Jimmy leans into her touch, closing his eyes. He covers her hand with his own. “I can’t believe she did that. And then she has the gall to yell at me for sending her to her room! She’s fifteen years old. She is acting so childish!”

She smiles knowingly at her husband. “Darling, as you said, she’s fifteen. She is a child. Albeit, one who’s acting out.”

He leans back, eyes opening wide in shock. “Jenn, surely you don’t condone her behavior!”

She frowns, folding her arms. “Of course not. But I don’t approve of our son’s behavior either. Nor do I blame Alyssa for being so upset. He entered the bathroom, knowing she was in the shower, stole her clothes, and dumped them outside. I want to strangle him myself.”

Jimmy scratches his nose. “So, how should we punish him?”

“No video games or TV for a week.”

He nods. “I’ll lock the games in here. If the other boys want to play, they’ll have to ask for them.”

Jenny lifts a finger as a thought hits her. “Don’t forget the tablet. Jesse’s pretty clever when he wants to be. He’ll look for alternate means and loopholes.”

“Right. And we could always add to his chores.” He suggests.

“As for Alyssa,” she gingerly broaches the subject. Her husband grimaces. “You know something has to be said and done.”

“I know,” he all but groans. “I just don’t know what to do or say to her.”

Those green eyes pierce through him, understanding but firm. “Jimmy, I realize that you and Alyssa have missed out on so much time together and that you both have a long road ahead. But she is still part of this family and living under our roof. She needs to understand that there are rules that she must adhere to and if broken, there are consequences. We have to punish her, too. It’s only fair.”

He sighs, knowing she’s right. “Fine. But let’s give her more time to cool off. Then I’ll talk to her.” He wraps an arm around her, frowning slightly. “Jenn, it’s too quiet. Where are the boys?”

She smiles, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I had Jesse go wash up and change his clothes. After he’s done, he’s supposed to stay in his room until we talk to him. Josh volunteered to clean up the mess in the dining room and wash the dishes. Jordan and Jay are walking the dogs around the neighborhood.”

A grin starts to form, lighting up those blue eyes. “So, what you’re saying is that no one is going to miss us if we hole up in here for a while?” Jimmy draws her closer to him.

“You are incorrigible!” Jenny laughs.

* * *

  
  


Jimmy paces in front of the door for the third time in the last five minutes. He can feel knots tightening in his stomach. _ Why am I so nervous? It’s not like I’m meeting her for the first time. Although, that was nerve-wracking enough. _ He takes a few deep breaths to ground himself. And regain his courage, if he’s being honest with himself. _ It’s like Jenn said, she was in the wrong and needs to be punished. If she cries, don’t give in_.

He knocks on the guest room door. “Alyssa? Can you please let me in? We need to talk.” No answer. He grows more impatient and annoyed, knocking more insistently. “Alyssa, open the door.” Jimmy tries to turn the doorknob. It’s locked. “Young lady, I understand that you’re upset. But locking me out is not going to help your case.” Still no answer. Anger becomes fear as he realizes what happened one of the last times that she locked herself in her room and no one could elicit a response from her. “If you don’t open this door in the next ten seconds, I’m coming in.”

He attempts to jimmy the lock. When that doesn’t work, Jimmy backs away, getting into a ready stance, and then delivers a front kick near the handle. The door flies open.

* * *

Alyssa lies on the bed, cuddling a pillow, listening to music on her phone. She’s still so angry over the morning’s events. _ I can’t believe that Jimmy sent me to my room like that. It was humiliating. Why isn’t he more upset with Jesse? He did far worse than me. _ But in all honesty, she would rather be here, alone in “her” room, rather than surrounded by strangers who don’t want her there.

Her tears were finally slowing up. She’s so exhausted from all of the crying and barely expressed anger. The bed is so comfortable and the music so soothing that Alyssa is on the verge of falling asleep.

Until the door crashes open. She yelps, tumbling backward off the bed. She winces at the pain of having bumped her head on the wall and her back hitting the floor. Alyssa opens her eyes to see Jimmy kneeling beside her. He helps her up.

“Alyssa, are you okay?”

Her face scrunches up in confusion. “What are you doing here? I locked the d--”

Her eyes dart to the door, which is wide open. She sees the splintered wood near the locking mechanism. Alyssa jerks away from him, the fires of fury stoked again. “You broke the door!”

Her eyes are on him now. He feels a bit sheepish but tries to appear firm and authoritative. “I knocked and asked you to open it. Several times, might I add. But then, I thought that you might have… hurt yourself again.”

Alyssa, who was about to unleash an angry comeback, flinches. She sinks to a sitting position against the wall, her knees coming up to her chest. She clutches her phone tightly. Looking down at it, she finally speaks in a small voice.

“I was listening to music.”

“I didn’t hear anything.”

“They’re noise-canceling,” she clarifies, pointing to her ear.

Jimmy notices the cord dangling from an earbud connecting to the phone. He nods. “That would make sense,” he admits. 

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Alyssa decides to bite the bullet and bring up the subject she’s been dreading. “So, you know about…” She swallows hard; she can’t say the words. It feels like she’s going to cry again. But she can’t. Not in front of him.

Jimmy hears the tremble in her barely audible voice. His heart aches for her. He lowers himself to the floor, sitting beside her. Her breath hitches as he scoots closer. It doesn’t escape his notice that she reaches out for the pillow she had been holding moments earlier. She hugs it to her chest.

“Yes, I do.”

“My mom told you, didn’t she?” Jimmy hears the bitterness but doesn’t know if it is in reference to her mother or because he was told.

He sighs. “Alyssa, your mother called me the moment you were admitted to the hospital.” Her stomach twists in knots over this revelation. “I realize that you aren’t happy with the situation. And I’m sorry. But we share custody of you. She is legally obligated to tell me if something happens to you. As am I to tell her.”

She peers over at him. “Does your wife know?”

Jimmy meets her eyes. “Yes, Jenny knows. There are no secrets between me and my wife.”

Alyssa shuts her eyes, lowering her head, and curls in on herself. Jimmy wonders how the stuffing doesn’t pop out of the pillow or the phone doesn’t shatter in her hand by how tightly she clenches them. She mumbles a question.

“Sorry, I couldn’t make that out. Can you repeat that?”

She lifts her head slightly. He can make out shiny tracks of tears on her cheeks and her eyes appear red. “Did you tell them? My brothers?”

Jimmy places a hand on her shoulder. She shies away from it, despite the light touch. “No, they don’t know. And they don’t have to unless you want them to.”

“I don’t,” she practically growls, hating the hot tears that betray her.

“Okay, they won’t find out from me or Jenny. I promise. But if you ever feel…” He stops. _ How do I finish this sentence? Suicidal? Like you want to harm yourself? _

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Jimmy nods sadly. “I just want you to know that you can come to me and Jenny. If you do feel up to it. Or you can go to the twins if that makes you feel more comfortable.”

Alyssa just needs the subject to be changed. “So, why did you want to see me?”

He’s not going to push her if she’s not ready. A stern expression overtakes him. “Look, we need to talk. That behavior at the end of breakfast was unacceptable. You do not dump any food or drink on any of your brothers’ heads, no matter what issues you are having with them. There will also be no physical altercations in this house. Is that understood?”

Without a word, she nods. When he clears his throat, it becomes apparent to her that was not how he wanted her to answer. “Yes, sir.”

“You acted very immaturely for your age. I am very disappointed in you, not that that matters much to you. What were you thinking?”

He feels a certain level of satisfaction at seeing shame color her face.

Alyssa’s nose crinkles. “Okay, I’ll admit that I could have handled things better.”

Jimmy raises an eyebrow.

“Like not pouring milk on him,” she admits. “But I still wouldn’t accept the apology.”

He frowns. “Why not?”

She sits up straighter. “Uncle Matt taught me that I don’t have to accept an apology if it’s not genuine, if it’s not specific enough, or if I’m not ready to hear one. And really, all those reasons apply. He didn’t want to, nor did he mean it; it was practically written on his face. You forced him to. I understand why, that you want us to all get along, but it wasn’t fair to either of us. I’m also still too upset to hear one right now, let alone accept it.”

Jimmy rests an arm on his knee. “You’re right. But I still need to punish you. So, hand over the phone.” He holds out his hand.

Alyssa’s eyes widen. Her breath quickens. “M-my phone? Why?”

He gives her a sympathetic look. “I may not know you that well, but it’s my understanding that teenage girls can’t stand being cut off from their friends or social media.”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Mere moments ago, she had been somewhat open, if reluctant to speak. Now, Alyssa appears to be back to that cold, glaring girl that he picked up from the airport not even two days ago. She rips the earbuds out, tossing them onto the bed.

She holds up the phone. “You want it? Fine. Take it. But I’ve got stipulations. Don’t use up my data. Stay off my social media. Keep out of my emails. Better yet, let’s just keep it locked or off.”

As she is about to type her password, someone is calling. “Mom” flashes across the screen. Alyssa rolls her eyes. “Not now,” she growls under her breath.

As she is about to reject the call, Jimmy grabs her wrist. They lock eyes, neither willing to back down. “Answer it,” he directs his daughter. “Talk to your mother. I’ll just step outside.” Letting her go, he starts to get up.

“Don’t bother. It’s not going to last long,” she scoffs.

He sits back down but raises an eyebrow at her. “Hey, remember what I said: be respectful.” 

Rolling her eyes, she turns her back to him. Jimmy bites his tongue. Alyssa leans back against the wall. She accepts the call, putting the phone to her ear. “Hi, Mom,” she greets in a subdued manner.

_ “Alyssa, mija!” _ Jimmy thinks Michelle’s delight is quite palpable even over the phone. He wishes that his daughter would show the same enthusiasm. _ “It’s so good to hear your voice! I miss you, cariño.” _

“It’s barely been three days.”

Her mother doesn’t comment on that remark. Instead, she keeps talking. _ “I know that Jimmy said that you were fine when he finally picked you up. But were you really? He also told me that you fainted. Mija, what happened? H-how are you feeling? Are you settling in? Getting along with your brothers _?”

Alyssa groans. “Mom. Can you slow down? Or at least stop bombarding me with questions?” After a gentle prod from Jimmy, she forces herself to calm down. “But yes, I’m fine. He was exaggerating,” she insists, shooting a glare at him. “I might have gone a few hours too long without eating.”

_ “A few hours? Alyssa, you can’t do that! Why didn’t you pack anything in your carry-on?” _

Annoyed, she sits up straight. “Why didn’t you? I hadn’t been on a plane in over ten years. How was I supposed to know what to pack? And you were there, helping me pack.”

She ignores Jimmy’s light squeeze on her arm.

A sigh is audible. _ “Yes, you’re right. I should have,” _ her mother admits. Alyssa blinks, surprised. _ “But, sweetheart, how are you getting along with your new family?” _

To Jimmy’s ears, Michelle seems nervous, yet interested. He hopes that she doesn’t think that he or Jenny will replace her or her brother. _ You are her mother. You are irreplaceable. _

Alyssa glances at him out of the corner of her eye. She can’t exactly lie with him right beside her. And if she tried, would he call her out on it while she’s on the phone with her mother? “It’s too soon to tell.”

Silence seems to go on forever.

_ “What does that mean?” _ Michelle asks slowly.

A rush of emotions floods through the girl. “It means I don’t want to be here! I don’t know them, they don’t know me and they don’t want to! In fact, one of them hates me.”

Jimmy wants to interject; he and Jenny want to know Alyssa, desperately. The boys need time. _ Alyssa, please just give us time, honey. _

_ “Mijita, I’m sure that’s not true. Just give it time.” _

“Mom, why can’t I just live with you? I can still try and have a relationship with Jimmy. When do you come back to LA?” Alyssa is aware that she sounds like a whiny little kid, but she doesn’t care. A part of her worries that Jimmy thinks her ungrateful, which she isn’t, but she squashes the thought. 

_ “Mija, I’m not coming home. At least, not for a while.” _

Alyssa frowns, confused. “What? What do you mean?”

_ “It’s going to take a few weeks to sort through Mateo’s affairs. Then I need to get back to work. I signed onto a project in Toronto that starts filming soon.” _

Jimmy whips his head around at that. _ She can’t be serious. Even if she loves her job, how can she consider going back to work so soon? Can’t she see that our daughter needs her? _

Speaking of his daughter, he can clearly see how she struggles. Flashes of pain and anger. The tremble of her lip. She’s fighting it, but he can tell the next wave of tears is not far off.

“Whatever. Do what you’ve gotta do. I’ll be fine.”

Though he still doesn’t know Alyssa that well, he can almost hear the unspoken end to that sentence - “without you, like always.” She ends the call abruptly before her mother has a chance to respond. She locks the phone and slides it across the floor to Jimmy. She also flings the pillow, which bounces harmlessly off the wall.

“Just take it and go.”

Alyssa turns her back on him. She curls up tightly, hugging her knees as close to her body as she can get them with her head resting upon the wall.

Jimmy picks up the phone, looking at it as if it was the most underwhelming consolation prize. Then he looks back up at his daughter. His heart breaks as he sees the shaking of her shoulders. He impulsively hugs Alyssa from behind. He tenderly kisses the back of her head.

“Sweetheart, I know it hurts. But your mother does love you. Don’t give up on her.”

She rips herself away from his loose embrace. He takes that as his cue to leave. As he reaches the busted doorframe, he stops and turns toward her. “You can stay here as long as you need to, but you are expected to come down for lunch and dinner. And straightening up your room may make you feel better.”

* * *

Jimmy and Jenny enter the room of their younger sons. Jayden is currently in the family room with the twins watching TV. Jesse sits on his bed, his red hair still damp from a shower and wearing clean, dry clothes. He is playing a game on his Nintendo 3DS. Jimmy promptly snatches it away from him.

“Hey! What the hell?”

He jumps up. When he realizes who took his handheld, Jesse’s temper is cowed. Both of his parents loom over him. Knowing what he’s in for, he tries to act casual. “So, uh, I guess you’re here to tell me what my punishment is.”

His parents share a look, but his mother is the first to speak. “We had decided that you would be banned from playing video games on any device and watching TV for a week. But it’s come to our attention that you’ve been hiding video games that we wouldn’t approve of.”

Jesse pales. “Wha-what are you talking about?”

Jimmy glares at his son. “Don’t play dumb. Jordan sold you out. Give us the games or you’re up to three weeks.”

The boy’s jaw drops. “Three? But you just said one week!”

“You heard your father,” Jenny warns him. He scowls, but gets on his knees, digging for something under his bed.

As the boy retrieves the games from the various hiding places, she continues. “As for why it became two weeks, you deliberately hid them from us. Anything over a T rating, you know you aren’t allowed to buy or play. And even then, if they are rated for Teens, we don’t allow you to buy a game before we’ve read up on the amount of violence or sexual content. I don’t know how you acquired them, but you will provide us with that information.”

Jesse sits back down on his bed with a huff after handing his dad a stack of game cases. _ There have to be at least ten cases here _, Jimmy thinks, thumbing through the games. He raises an eyebrow. “Well, is this the last of them? And you had better tell me the truth.”

“Yes,” the boy sulks. He mutters under his breath about the unfairness of his punishment, backstabbing brothers, and stupid sisters.

Jimmy shakes his head. “You know what? Just for the attitude and lying, let’s add to your list of chores. We’ll let Mom decide.”

Jenny crosses her arms, her green eyes burning. “Since you decided to throw out your sister’s clothes, you will be on laundry duty all month. Dealing with everyone’s dirty laundry will be your responsibility.”

The twelve-year-old is aghast. “What? But that’s never been one of my chores! I don’t know what to do.”

Her lips curl into a smile which unsettles her son. “Don’t worry. I’ll teach you everything. Knowing how to do laundry is an important life skill and it’s way past time that you learned. And with seven people living in this house, your dad and I shouldn’t be doing the lion’s share of the work.”

Jenny snaps her fingers. “Up. Let’s go. We’re starting right now.”

Jesse turns sour, reluctantly standing and joining his mother. She puts her hands on his shoulders, gripping them tightly. Jenny then leans down to fake whisper in his ear. “Just know, that you will be watched very closely and that if you deliberately ruin _ anyone’s _ clothes, it will be coming out of your allowance, birthday, and Christmas funds. Is that clear?”

Jimmy can’t help but smirk at his son’s distressed expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank both TheLadyDisdain for her continued help in beta-ing this story and Jules1980 for the chapter title. I liked both of her suggestions and they both applied, so I had to use them both.


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